Chris Peters is ESPN's NHL draft and prospects analyst. The Chicago native previously covered the NHL for CBSSports.com and founded the popular independent blog UnitedStatesofHockey.com where he covered the game at all levels since 2010.

The 2018 NHL draft was unpredictable and sometimes even confusing, but also an incredibly compelling and unique overall draft.

While it will take years to fully assess how each team did in this draft, we'll take the information that we have on each player now -- based on yearlong back-and-forth with scouts and my own personal viewings and research -- and give an early grade for how each team did. As important as drafting is, team player development has only grown in importance, quality and impact, so there's a long way to go in learning what this class has to offer. Don't view this as a final assessment of the draft, but rather the initial impression.

Here are my draft grades, along with a look at the players each team selected.